BMW 3 Series 2006 Review

MODEL WATCH

The E36 3 Series arrived in 1991. It was a logical evolution of the successful E30, with fresh new styling that pushed the Munich marque's sporting heritage further.

Much of this sporting image was built on the success of the E30 M3 in the European Touring Car Championship, and to some extent on our own race tracks.

It gave BMW a clear point of distinction from its arch rival, Mercedes-Benz, giving it a more youthful appeal.

Though young people couldn't afford one, they were taking notice of the race triumphs BMW was racking up, so it wasn't surprising when they began buying them as their second-hand value dropped to within their reach.

The 318 was the baby model, the most modest in the 3 Series range and therefore the one that first came within budget reach.

With its 85kW, 1.8-litre, fuel-injected four-cylinder engine, mostly linked to a four-speed auto transmission rather than then optional five-speed manual, its performance was nothing to write home about.

There's no denying it -- the modest numbers resulted in modest performance, with the 0-100km/h sprint requiring 11.3 seconds and the 400-metre dash taking a fairly leisurely 17.9s. Fuel consumption, however, was well under nine litre/100km on average.

While it might not have burned up the road, the 318 still had the typical BMW feel. Its power steering was nicely weighted, so it felt connected to the road.

The 318 featured independent suspension front and rear and was nicely balanced, but when pushed it would understeer, which disappointed some media pundits who were looking for more lively handling.

Brakes were discs all round with ABS for added safety in an emergency. While the 318 was quite well equipped, it lacked a few of the things you might expect of a car in the prestige market segment.

It had comfortable seats in an attractive trim, with the option of leather. The steering wheel fell comfortably to hand, and was covered in leather, but there was no adjustment of the rake, which you might expect of a car with its sticker price. Likewise it lacked cruise control, and the sound system was a radio-cassette unit, but it had airconditioning and dual airbags.

IN THE SHOP

The 3-Series is generally robust and reliable, but it's now entering the last phase of its useful life with odometer readings climbing into the 200,000 km area.

Providing it is serviced, it can still be a good buy, but it's best to avoid cars that haven't got a good and verifiable service record.

Engines, transmissions and drive lines are all reliable and give little trouble in the long term if looked after. Like all Euros, brake wear is an issue, so be prepared to replace not only pads on a regular basis but disc rotors as well. Tyre wear tends to be high so be prepared to replace them every 60,000km or so.

CRUNCH TIME

A well-balanced chassis delivers agile and responsive handling, which, coupled with four-wheel disc brakes and ABS, deliver good primary safety. Dual front airbags provide protection for front-seat passengers.